About Us - Karl Amundsen
Creative Background
I prefer to work in oils but will use whatever it takes to tell the story. I studied landscape painting with Da'vella Gore, a respected South Island painter. I learned studio disciplines and abstraction of ideas with Dame Louise Henderson and the telling of personal histories through image making from the late Christiane Corbat, an American artist at the forefront of the arts and healing movement. I believe that good art should add something vital to contemporary ife and reflect the artist's concerns.
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching practice centres around helping students clarify their intensions and make conscious decisions in order to achieve their ends. Sometimes that involves technical assistance in regards to their use of materials but more often that entails helping the student to connect more fully to the energy of the image they are trying to achieve.
Our Vision
Mairangi Arts Centre is a strong, community based visual arts education centre supporting and encouraging local/regional and culturally diverse communities to experience and enjoy a diverse range of visual arts practices, exhibitions and education programmes.
Our Purpose
To provide a supportive, nurturing and encouraging environment at Mairangi Arts Centre that fosters community access to and participation in the visual arts by offering a strong and purposeful education and exhibition programme that meets the learning and presentation needs of the community.